The teachers voice disrupted the silence, causing most of the pupil's heads to look up from their work. "Right, okay class, bell's about to go" the teacher sighed, looking slightly tired. "You can finish these for homework" he continued which then brought on some groaning throughout the room.

The bell rang hard and loud into the open door of the classroom and everyone stood up, gathering their things. I wondered where Anna would go now. I stood up quickly and a rush of heat hit me. It was like headrush, but hotter and across my skin. I shook my head to shake it off, looked around and smiled at Anna.

---

"Yeah thanks" I replied as I walked to the door. "I guess I'll see you later.. or tomorrow" I said acting casual. I winked at her before leaving towards the building of my room. When I got inside I threw myself onto my bed, sighing in relief. Today was tiring, I thought. I got out another cigarette, not caring that there was a strict rule against smoking in the rooms. I leant against the wall listening to others moving about in the hallway.

===

It was getting dark outside. I suddenly wondered where the time had gone. I got undressed and got into bed. Sleep soon found me. And so did the horrible nightmares. I should have expected it, known it was coming, but it didn't fail to shock me. The torture was still there; even though it was a dream. I could feel the pain and heat. I was sweating and tossing in my bed. Everything was so real, every detail and touch. However, the dream took a different turn. One I wasn't expecting. Nightmares are never about this.. are they? I was the one who was attacking. I lashed out and killed. But I enjoyed it. I knew how excrutiating it was to be attacked, but now I was having fun. My screams morphed into hisses, voilent and terrifying. I could have ripped the bed apart! I'd never had a nightmare like that before, and I definately couldn't understand it.

I woke up out of breath, startled. The light flooded in the room through the window, and the odd contrast between the dark dream and the bright light which awoke me was overwhelming. I realised that I was very late for first class. I quickly got changed, no time for a shower. Luckily I didn't smell badly, but the sweat still stuck to my skin and hair. I walked to my lesson, seeing that the building of boys rooms was deserted and staggered into the classroom.

---

I slumped down in my seat, trying to ignore the stares I got from the rest of the class. The teacher had a hissy fit at usual, but I pretended I couldn't hear her and it seemed to make her agitated. I found this funny but I was too busy looking around the room at that moment. Was Anna in this class? I couldn't see her, so she musn't have been in my first lesson. This made me sink into my chair more. As the lesson went on, I was still a bit shaken by what had happened and was not in the mood to work.

---

I could feel my eyes sliding closed but I stopped myself from slipping under everytime. I was so tired even though I'd slept in because of the restlessness nightmares cause. I got out my book and put it open in front of me, but I couldn't concentrate one what I was writing. I must have just been scribbling, trying to keep the pen moving across the line. I just didn't want anymore attention to myself by the teacher seeing me doing nothing or falling asleep.

However, half way through the lesson there was no denying people were looking at me. I was lying on the floor for crying out loud! How did I get there? I felt pain and my vision had gone black. There was a motion of falling but I couldn't compose myself to try and stop the hard hit of my body against the floor. I hadn't realised I had said "Ahh" so loudly, a reflex from the sudden pain attack. Although I couldn't see, I heard the teacher shout my name "Are you all right?" he asked, panicky. Well, yeah, I'm great thanks! What does it look like? I thought. It was amazing how I could be snappy at someone when I'd just blacked out, even if it was just in my head. Others rushed over scraping their chairs against the floor, the vibrations reaching me where I was laid. It wasn't long before I opened my eyes and tried to sit up. When I'd successfully lifted myself up, wordlessly, I sat back in my chair. I think the others must have been confused at how I had reacted. It was only quick, I was fine now and I really didn't want any attention.

I wasn't surprised though when the girl who had been trying to flirt with me for the past week persisted to ask me how I was. She was fluttering around trying to act all caring and angelic. I didn't answer her questions. I thought about how relieved I was that Anna wasn't in this class. I definately wasn't going to next lesson.

---

With much luck, the bell sounded not long after the commotion. The constant worried questions were getting tiring to answer. "I'm fine" I repeated over and over. I wasn't technically fine. I was shocked and my skin felt hot. I wished my face didn't look red or else someone would drag me to the nurse. I didn't need anyone feeling sorry for me, never mind checking for illnesses.

When I moved to the door I kept my eyes forward, I could hear others in the class whispering. What must they think? I didn't just faint; something anyone has which is normal. I was in pain. The sort of noise someone would make being hit forceably in the stomach had escaped my lips regretably. It was extremely embarrassing, so I couldn't wait to be out of sight.

Behind the buildings I found a shaded spot hidden half behind a tree. The grass was quite long, so the ground was soft to lie on. I had put my cap on my head walking through the hallway, and now I pulled it down so the peak covered my eyes. I considered going out into the town, but I couldn't think of a good enough reason to take me there, so instead I got out a cigarette.

---

I gasped as I saw Anna infront of me. The cigarette in my mouth had disappeared and she looked angry. I didn't know what to say for a second, I was pretty confused. "What?" I finally said. I didn't think that she would have a hatred for smoking. I know most people didn't like it, but it was a sudden thing to do for such a dainty and shy girl. I wondered how she had found me there, I was quite a distance from the building. Was she looking for me? She couldn't have just walked past and spotted me.

---

My eyebrows pulled together and then raised in surprise. I'd never seen Anna like this before, she was always polite and shy. The way she was acting now made a smile play at the corners of my lips. Somehow it made me like her more. I didn't know what had brought this on, maybe hanging around with me was a bad influence. My parents seemed to think so about me. Maybe she had a relative die from smoking? I guess she'd be upset about that. But what could make her care so much about my health? I shook my head slightly, smiling, to try and gather my thoughts. "I'm... sorry?" I made the apology a question, not sure what she was expecting me to say. Was I supposed to feel bad about it? I was enjoying this too much to feel bad.

---

I was getting very confused. But this moment was so amusing that I couldn't help but grin. "It's fine" I chuckled as Anna apologised. I thought for a second at the first thing she had said. "Wait.. why do you want me to 'pay attention in school'?" I quoted, wondering why it was important to her. Had she taken the part of my mother now? I guessed she was just the kind of girl that liked order and people to do what their told. I looked up at her as she was stood up, the sun glaring down at me making her half a silhouette. I squinted, looking at her through my eyelashes.

---

I frowned. She didn't answer my question. I didn't press it though, because she had started to walk away. "Wait, don't go" I said. It surprised me how much I really meant that. Hopefully she would stay. I really didn't want to go back inside to all the others whispering and probably going to call me a freak. I knew it was too soon after what had happened in class. Anna didn't know about that though, and I cringed at the thought of her finding out from others in the school. I sighed, that's probably why she was acting differently. Ha. She might have thought my smoking caused the incident today.

---

I looked up thinking as I didn't expect such a question. I was happy though, she had decided to stay with me. Maybe she wasn't as bothered about my skiving as she made out to be a second ago. Why was she asking me this? It made me grin though; she wasn't like the other girls. She surprised me and she wasn't so common. "Uhh.. yeah.." I started, thinking why she would want to know this "at my old school I guess, not here though". The sun warmed my legs as I stretched them out infront of me. I looked over at Anna, trying to understand why she'd asked. She'd said it out of nowhere, which made me think she could have been thinking about it for a while. Something like that might not have come up in general conversation. Her hair was glistening in the slight sunshine and I smiled. Had she had boyfriends here? Did she have one now? That thought popped into my head. I hadn't considered it before, but there was still a chance.

---

"Yeah they are" I laughed. "Probably part of the reason why". I looked over at the school and back to Anna. I continued "It is a boarding school, what can I expect? I didn't even want to come here. But no, I haven't met any girls here I like" Except for the one next to me I added mentally. I hoped she wouldn't take that to offense; especially the last bit. I acted on my queries "How about you..?" I would have nudged her playfully but she was a little too far away, and the question ended up sounding more shy. I wished she was closer.

---

"Mmm" I nodded. I didn't want to ask why, even though my mind was searching endlessly for what she could mean by that. I knew it would be rude to go into something like that, I just wished he hadn't done something bad to hurt her. I didn't even think to guess in my mind who the boy was until after. They were all idiots at that school anyway. The sun slowly disappeared behind a cloud, making the bright scenery turn slightly dull and the wind picked up. I glanced towards the cigarette on the floor. I wish I'd got the chance to smoke it, now I didn't know if I could infront of her. I didn't want to upset her by doing so. Anna's long hair was blowing gently in the wind, I smiled. "Hey, you wanna go somewhere?" I gestured towards the town.